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January 2012
Environment, January 31: Institutional investors’ climate change group reacts to EU working paper
RI’s regular round-up of environmental investing developments
FREE MSCI launches ESG sovereign ratings, to complement traditional debt analysis
New ratings cover developed, emerging and frontier markets
Ending Wall Street’s big sleep on sustainability
A recent closed meeting of investors looked at moving from words to action.
Aviva Investors’ SRI team seeks to stay together with new parent
Team leader Michaelis confirms intention
Aviva Investors cuts London SRI equity desk amid wider job cull
Formation of new Global Responsible Investment Team
Norwegian pension fund meets resistance in US shareholder rights campaign
Western Union seeks to omit shareholder resolution from ballot
US investors push House of Representatives on forced labour law
House proposal would oblige companies to identify and report risks.
UK’s €10bn responsible investment-focused pensions lifeboat in bond move
Leading responsible investor seeking bond managers
RI People & Appointments, January 30: New chairman at Finnish pension giant
RI’s regular round-up of responsible people moves
Responsible Funds, January 27: the round-up of ESG funds news
RI’s regular look at responsible funds news
FREE UK’s NEST appoints Co-operative Asset Management as responsible ownership partner
Major new asset owner rounds out ESG suppliers
A third of Swedish companies making little sustainability progress despite local investor pressure
Sustainable Value Creation in Sweden reports second year findings.
RI Governance, Jan. 26: New proxy consultant launches in UK
RI’s regular round-up of govenrance and engagement news
Shareholders withdraw Pfizer lobbying resolution as company agrees to dialogue
Pharma giant commits to “future dialogue”
Major US corporate lobby groups tells SEC to regulate proxy firms as investment advisers
US regulator to issue ruling in coming months.
RI Briefing, January 25: Royal Bank of Canada in social and environmental initiative
RI’s regular review of responsible investing developments
Corporate Knights’ corporate sustainability ranking launched with Kiernan’s Inflection Point input
New ‘Global Responsible Investment Network’ formed
US fund manager offers free RI training to asset owners
RI Academy programme proposed to hundreds of pension funds and their trustees.
Reto Ringger’s Globalance taps ex-Deutsche wealth chief for board
New top appointment at SAM founder’s new venture
Vedanta Wal-Mart and Freeport most excluded companies in European investor sample: Novethic
15 most blacklisted companies listed by large investors.
Environment: Jan 24: Allianz’s Faber: Just 1% of institutional assets is 5x green climate fund
RI’s regular round-up of environmental investing developments
FREE UK confirms binding shareholder votes on future executive pay
Government issues measures to address pay “disconnect”
New Dutch class action pay-out could lead investors to chase US claims in the Netherlands
Lawyers exploit Dutch Court of Appeals to get shareholder damages.
Fixed income giant PIMCO backs ESG to increase long-term portfolio quality
$1.3trn fund firm explains rationale for signing up to UN PRI
RI People & Appointments, January 23: ex-UN PRI operating chief takes up mission investing post
Ri’s regular round-up of people news
FREE Major investor coalition seeks disclosure of US corporate lobbying expenditure
Shareholder resolutions tabled at 40 blue chip companies
Group warns Bank of England over “systemic risk” of high carbon investments
Investors and campaign groups write to BOE Governor
RI Governance & Engagement, Jan. 19: Tokyo exchange planning governance changes
RI’s regular round-up of governance and engagement news
Siemens faces investor call at Jan 24 AGM to quit US Chamber of Commerce over bribery issue
German company faces ‘reputation risk’ say investors as DoJ reviews Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
Investors braced for key UK executive pay proposals next week as Fidelity enters debate
Long-awaited government pay proposals to be unveiled by Business Secretary Vince Cable
FREE China: manufacturing sector and social issues highest reported investor ESG risks: study
Environmental risks ahead as government policy tightens.
RI Briefing, January 18: UN PRI signatory managers sought by Danish pension funds
RI’s regular round-up of responsible investing news
UK investors meet with government and warn that binding pay vote could backfire
Proposal to vote on ‘forward-looking’ pay policy floated.
Clean Investor, January 17: CDP chief named to Clean Development Mechanism panel
RI’s regular round-up of clean investing news
Philippe Desfossés, RAFP: sustainable investment requires changing investor market expectations
Investors need to go back to the origin of the risk they are taking.
RI People & Appointments, January 16: US SIF names four new board members
RI’s regular round-up of people news
Conference report: US Pension funds report to INCR/UN summit on progress in climate investments
In the face of political foot-dragging, long-term investors say they are getting down to green business.
Flight to safety in European SRI and green fund sales reflects continuing market crisis
Cash funds best sellers in both sectors as downturn persists.
FREE Planned UN climate fund ‘won’t get $100bn’, says World Bank climate chief
Flagship climate fund was agreed at Durban talks
Responsible Funds, January 13: the round-up of ESG funds news
RI’s regular look at responsible funds news
RI Governance & Engagement, Jan. 12: CalSTRS votes against entire Aberdeen AM board
RI’s regular review of governance and engagement developments
MIT Sloan Survey: take up of business critical sustainability initiatives has reached tipping point
Number of companies profiting from sustainability lower but rising.
British Columbia investment giant hires corporate engagement manager
Canadian investor hires engagement specialist from mutual fund firm
Sustainalytics seeking institutional relations head for Germany
ESG research house targeting German-speaking markets
RI Briefing, January 11: SAM looks at obesity crisis & investment opportunities
RI’s regular round-up of responsible investing developments
Mercer says global institutional investors starting to address climate risk
Consultant’s follow-up to groundbreaking 2011 climate change research
Global investor groups issue first ever joint action plan on corporate responses to climate change
Statement to be issued on January 12 conference at UN in New York.
Clean Investor, January 10: French state investor signs Tunisia carbon credits deal
RI’s regular round-up of clean investing news
Threadneedle names new Head of Governance and Responsible Investment
€75bn funds firm hires from rival Aviva Investors
FREE Key EU Parliament committee backs financial transaction tax
MEPs say the “pendulum has swung” in favour of controversial tax
UK government indicates binding pay vote on the way: but will it work?
PM Cameron says there is a market failure on pay, so let the ‘market’ decide!
FREE €3trn investor group sets out to improve quality of engagement
Goal to make engagement “more rewarding” for investors and companies
RI People & Appointments, January 9: New operations chief at APG
RI’s regular round-up of people news
FREE Brazilian exchange moves to boost corporate sustainability reporting
‘Report or explain’ as country prepares for Rio+20 summit
Responsible Funds, Jan. 6: the round-up of ESG funds news
RI’s regular look at responsible funds news
Kris Douma. Mn Services: Food crisis and commodities: are investors to blame?
Pension fund addresses public concern after media coverage on agricultural commodities investing.
Zembla documentary blasts ABP, PGGM and Mn Services, saying commodity investments behind food crises
Report says funds are ignoring research that speculation is fuelling food price bubbles.
RI Briefing, January 4: €5bn charity sector fund signs up to Stewardship Code
RI’s regular round-up of responsible investing news
SEC planning rules on disclosure of investors’ executive pay votes
New provisions under the Dodd-Frank Act
Bob Monks hits out at SEC plans to clamp down on shareholder voting advisers
ISS founder says proxy firms are the only service sector not “suborned” by corporate management.
The RI year ahead….and the year that was: the biggest stories of 2011…and 2012
We take a look at the most read stories of 2011 and what will make the headlines early this year.
FREE Dutch pension giant excludes Wal-Mart and PetroChina
Divestments over non-compliance with Global Compact
Clean Investor, January 3: Munich Re to invest €2.5bn in renewables
RI’s regular round-up of clean investing developments
FREE Philippe Desfossés, Director, RAFP: Governments must design regulations that value ESG/long term
A glut of debt and unsustainable pension promises requires an ESG and long-term institutional sustainability fix.